Introduction: Outdoor Chandelier Lighting Made With Trash and Krylon Paint

Last week I went dumpster diving at all of the bicycle shops in town, and this outdoor chandelier is the end result of the trash I collected. Trash + Krylon paint = cyclepunk outdoor chandelier lighting. Move over Kitchler, I'm taking over the chandelier lighting empire! Here is how you can make an outdoor chandelier with discarded bicycle parts and paint:

Materials: - Strand of outdoor lights - Assorted bicycle parts. No two chandeliers will be alike because the end result will depend on what parts you can find in the trash. - Assorted hardware (brackets, nuts, bolts) - Super magnets (5 large, 5 small, one large with hanging ring) - 10 washers - 5 Bawls guarana bottles, cut

Step 1: Cut Glass Bottles

Cut the tops off 5 glass beer or soda bottles that you will use for your chandelier. I followed the instructions for the easiest way to cut glass bottles using a $3 glass cutter to score a line around the bottle then alternating hot and cold water on the score line until the bottle breaks clean (according to the article in the link).

Step 2: Make the Bottles Into Mirrors

I love the cobalt blue of the Bawls guarana bottles, and I wanted to add a shimmer to the inside of the glass to enhance the blue. So I sprayed the inside of the bottle tops with Krylon mirror-like paint. In order not to get paint on the outside of the glass, you have to trace a circle on a piece of cardboard with the bottle top, cut out the circle, and place it over the opening of the bottle to protect the outside from stray paint. Spray a fine coat and let it dry. Repeat until the glass is the desired mirror finish. I sprayed mine with the coats of Krylon mirror-like paint.

Step 3: Remove Bulbs and Sockets From Outdoor Light String

BE SURE THE STRING OF OUTDOOR LIGHTS IS UNPLUGGED.
Remove all the lights from the sockets on the string of lights. Remove the sockets from the electrical string. I used a small flat screwdriver to pop off the sockets. Save all the pieces. You will only need to put five sockets back together, but some of them may break, so keep all the pieces for more inventory.

Step 4: Paint the Electrical Wire

I wanted a rusty metal look for the electric wires instead of the Christmas green they came in. So first I painted the string with the only Krylon plastic fusion paint I had, which was pink (you can see the pink on the newspaper). I needed the regular Krylon to stick to the plastic, so I "primed" the plastic wires with the made-for-plastic spray paint.
To get the rusty metal look, spray the wire with Krylon metallic silver paint and let it dry.
Take a toothbrush and splatter mineral oil in random spots on the silver paint.
Spray black and orange Krylon paints also in a random pattern on top of the mineral oil and silver paint.
Once all the paint is dry, rub the wires clean. You will get a mottled black/silver/orange look that resembles rusty wires.
(Oops. Looks like I missed a little spot of green)

Step 5: Paint the Outdoor Lighting to Look Like Rust

I could have left the bicycle parts a shiny stainless steel, but I was going for a cyclepunk look, so I painted it similar to the electrical wires to give it a rusted look. Except this time I reversed the order of the paint.
First, thoroughly clean all bicycle parts with mineral spirits to remove any oily residues.
Spray orange and black Krylon paint in a random pattern on all the parts. Allow to dry 15 minutes.
Splatter mineral oil on the pieces and spray everything with the metallic silver paint. Allow to dry.

Step 6: Put Outdoor Chandelier Together

Now comes the hardest part.
String the electrical wires around the five points on the bicycle gear, through the springs that hang off the "points," through the neck of the bottles and then reassemble the sockets.
To reassemble the sockets, put the socket where you want it to be attached on the electrical wire and use a pair of plyers to clamp the top back onto the socket. This presses the contact points into the electrical wire, re-establishing connection with the electrical flow.
Pull the socket back up the neck of the bottle so it's snug and test a light bulb to see if your connection is working (test with a couple light bulbs in case one is burned).
Repeat all the way around with the five bottle tops.

Step 7: Embelish Outdoor Chandelier

Drop pieces of bicycle spokes through the holes in the top of the chandelier structure. OPTIONAL: spray paint the spokes with Krylon glitter before putting them in the chandelier.Cut pieces of bicycle chain according to the article in the link (using an aul, a hammer, and a nut) and hot glue them around the tops and bottoms of the chandelier lights (the bottle tops).

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64 Comments

This is AWESOME! WELL DONE! One day... one day! :) For the moment I have to solve my counterweight pulley system problem to hoist my furniture to the roof home office since I can't get anything up any other way other than through the internal yard! And I can't find an intractable to help me do this! SIGH! But the home office is still empty - so your lamps or something similar are on my TO-DO list :) WELL DONE!

This is AWESOME! WELL DONE! One day... one day! :) For the moment I have to solve my counterweight pulley system problem to hoist my furniture to the roof home office since I can't get anything up any other way other than through the internal yard! And I can't find an intractable to help me do this! SIGH! But the home office is still empty - so your lamps or something similar are on my TO-DO list :) WELL DONE!

Oh, thank you. My mistake.... the link followed down the page a bit. I already bought a tile saw for the purpose and the video made me realize that true to form I have been making too much of a thing of it. Repeat lesson: be safe but don't let fear rule you.